Area codes 508 and 774

Map showing the region covered by area codes 508 and 774

Map of current Massachusetts area codes (since May 2001)

Area codes 508 and 774 are North American Numbering Plan (NANP) telephone area codes for the U.S. state of Massachusetts. This service area currently includes south-central and most of southeastern Massachusetts (LATA code 128). It includes Worcester, Outer south & southwest Greater Boston (such as the MetroWest region), as well as Fall River, New Bedford, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket.

Map showing the 508 area code from its inception in July 1988 until it was split in September 1997

Map showing the original 617 area code before the formation of 508

Area code 508 was created on July 16, 1988, as a split from area code 617.^[1] Prior to this split, 617 served the entire eastern two-thirds of Massachusetts from roughly the western end of Worcester County to Boston, The Cape and Islands, & The South Coast, while area code 413 (then as now) served all points west of the original 617 boundary. Permissive dialing of 617 and 508 continued until January 1, 1989.

On September 1, 1997, area code 508 was split, with area code 978 being assigned to the northern part of that service area. Area code 774 is an overlay area code that was added to share the 508 service area, beginning on May 2, 2001 and continuing to the present day. Since then, 10 digit local dialing is mandatory.

Some mobile phone numbers from the 1990s assigned to communities in the former northern half on 508 (now the 978 area code) kept the 508 area code just on those mobile lines after it split.

Regions and major cities

Area codes 508 and 774 include the following regions

• South central MA
• MetroWest
• Cape Cod
• Martha's Vineyard
• Nantucket

Area codes 508 and 774 include the following major cities

• Plymouth
• Taunton
• Worcester
• Brockton
• Franklin
• Barnstable
• Fall River
• Dartmouth
• New Bedford
• Framingham
• Bridgewater
• Attleboro

See also

• List of area codes in Massachusetts
• List of NANP area codes
• North American Numbering Plan

References

1. "NPA: 508". NANP Administration System. North American Numbering Plan Administration. Retrieved 25 August 2012.

External links

• NANPA Area Code Map of Massachusetts
• List of exchanges from AreaCodeDownload.com, 508 Area Code
• List of exchanges from AreaCodeDownload.com, 774 Area Code

Massachusetts area codes: 339, 351, 413, 508, 617, 774, 781, 857, 978
	North: 978/351
West: 413	area code 508/774	East: 781/339, Atlantic Ocean
	South: 860, 401
Connecticut area codes: 203, 475, 860, 959
Rhode Island area codes: 401